After surviving what Kwanghee had considered as The Face-Off, Dara resumed work the next morning feeling powerful and so witty of having to keep her cool despite what happened at that dinner. Yes, she is now definite she can do this. A piece of cake. After calling for a schedule with Donghae’s secretary for the interview, she was set up for 3 o’clock including taking photos of him and a 10 o’clock photo shoot of the mall the next day. Kwanghee was right. She would only get to see him twice. The assistant told her Donghae had his schedule packed and she can only squeeze in at least an hour for the magazine. Then he would fly back off to Korea after 4 days. Dara told her she understands while she bunched up her fist in the air. The assistant doesn’t have any idea how much this relieves her. The quicker this gets over with, the better.

The only problem she encountered that day was the photographer. She can’t find one who is actually free at 3, so she decided to take it upon herself to take pictures of Donghae, the idiot. She’s not a good photographer so they just got to make do with photoshop.

She swiveled her chair from side to side as she called Becky to find out how Haru was. He was still asleep when she left that morning. His energetic voice made her smile as he speak his own launguage on the phone.

“Yes, baby,” Dara said chuckling as she only understood Mama from his string of words.

A knock on her office door made her turn and her secretary’s head popped in. “Ms. Dara?”

“Yes?”

“Mr. Lee Donghae is here asking for you.”

Dara’s mind went blank for a second before getting back on the phone. “I’ll—I’ll see you later baby. Becky? Becky, don’t give him any toys unless he eats his lunch, okay?” She hung up feeling a small panic rising up. Calm down for ’s sake! What are the odds that Donghae would suddenly drop by just as she was speaking to Haru? Dammit. This is making her nervous even though she’s definite Donghae wouldn’t know. She cleared before nodding her assent to her secretary. She stood up then sat down. Then stood up again. Where should she be to welcome an unexpected visitor? She decided to just stand up by her table as she waited for Donghae to come in.

He strode in wearing a white polo shirt with its sleeves rolled up on his arms and his black pants hanging low on his hips and Dara could feel her heart running into overdrive. Ah dammit. Is there anyway her heart can stop doing this?!

Listen here you little piece of useless , she berated her heart as his eyes met hers. He already hurt you. He stomped you into pieces for god’s sake and you still have the nerve to beat for him? Dumb !

Last night, she didn’t notice the changes in him as she was too busy with her own mind. Now, in the light of the morning, she can see that he’s gotten more lean, he had his hair shorter and his face which she is so used to seeing with a humorous smile and sometimes childish expression is now unsmiling and serious.

He smirked at her silent scrutiny. “Satisfied?”

Dara didn’t realize she was already staring at him and she smiled to cover her embarrasment. “No, not really. Your pants doesn’t really go well with your shirt, that’s all.”

Donghae tilted his head slightly as he asked lazily, “Want me to take it off?”

Dara felt her smile tightened. “No, I would prefer you telling me what you’re doing here.” She checked her watch and saw it was only 11. It’s better to dispense pretense of courtesy. “From what I remembered, I was scheduled 3 o’clock for my interview. Do you happen to have free time that you wanted it moved to an earlier schedule?”

Donghae just studied her with unfathomable eyes before speaking. “You have changed.” It was his turn to look her up and down and she tried hard not to fidget. She was wearing a white coat over her simple haltered red pencil-cut dress with her strappy chunky heels but the way Donghae is inspecting her made her feel like she should’ve dressed a lot more elegantly. Donghae’s eyes returned to her face. “Does Mr. Hwang Kwanghee knows his girlfriend is my ex?”

She blinked. Okay, that was unexpected. She was blank for a minute but Donghae seems to take it as a No because of her surprised expression. He smirked, “You didn’t tell him?”

Dara’s mind is running through every possible answers. Should she answer yes, Kwanghee knows? But that would be too odd that he seems to be so cheerful last night of having his girlfriend interview her ex. Damn Kwanghee. If she says no, he didn’t, it would give him some kind of leverage on her. Which she doesn’t want to happen.

“Yes, he knows,” she answered after quite a long pause.

Her flustered look did not convince Donghae as his smirk became even more pronounced. “How can you keep a secret like that from the president?” He strode slowly towards her as he said in a quiet voice. “But I gotta thank you because I’m going to have a lot of fun here.”

Dara’s urge was to step back as she watched Donghae advancing towards her but she firmly rooted her feet on the space she was standing on. The hell she would cower! And she doesn’t even understand what the hell he came up here for. Fun? What the hell is he talking about?

She scoffed. “You think you can blackmail me with my—“ she moved her fingers in a quotation marks “—stalker past with Kwanghee.” She pierced him with a stare. “Before you even opened your mouth, I would’ve already beaten you to it.”

But Donghae just shook his head as he continued striding towards her as if not believing her. “Do you know what I felt last night, when I saw you looking so… beautiful and so bright….” He shook his head. ”You’re exuding happiness that I can even feel it from across the table and I felt that it had been too… unfair.”

She was stumped, clearly not understanding what he’s saying. “What?”

“Do you remember the last time we saw each other? Ah yes, of course you would. Highlight of your life, right?” He made a tsk sound. “Unlike you, it was the start of a nightmare for me. Do you remember how Yoona saw that… compromising situation we were in? ”He nodded his head at the look on Dara’s frowning face. “Of course you did. Probably one of your plans, right?” His tone was so calm yet it made Dara brace herself. “Do you know what happened after that?”

“Of course I did,” she said matching Donghae’s calm, nonchalant tone. “You tried to pay me off to stay the away from you. Which, from what I rememeber, I did. Without a dime from you. So I don’t understand what this whole… thing you’re after. Really.” She shook her head apathetically. “You have really got to move on from the past. I’ve moved on, I’ve forgotten about it, so you should to.”

Donghae smiled without any humor until he is already standing in front of Dara. “I’m sure you did. But you know what happened to me?”His eyes turned into slits as he stared at her. “Do you know what I’ve been through? I went after Yoona and she has never forgiven me. Because of you. Do you know where Yoona is at right now? Off engaged to some businessman in China.” He stepped even more closer to her as he breathed in her face. “I tried to get her back but you ruined it all for me. I tried reaching out to her but she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore. You see how powerful you had been? I have lived my life in complete misery over watching her be engaged to some man while you—” He let out a loud scoff. “—are just here enjoying the fruits of your labor. Enjoying your happy life with your honey after the mess that you made to my life!”

Dara felt fall down in disbelief at what Donghae was accusing her of. What the hell? He was blaming her for his misery? She had expected nonchalance from him or indifference over their meeting or, even if it was asking too much, regret over what he did. But this? Like she was the one who was supposed to be sorry? She can’t believe this!

“The president does seems to be really taken with you,” Donghae continued sarcastically. “And I can’t say I blame him. If you had actually come to me looking like this before, I wouldn’t have to change my passcode.” His smile fell off his face as the anger radiated off him. “Are you happy, Dara? Are you happy with him?”

She opened to retort but the absurdity of this whole thing is making her completely at a loss for words. Even more so when Donghae suddenly put a hand behind her head and pulled her, kissing her hard on the lips as her shocked eyes went even wider, her arms frozen limply at her side. She didn’t even have time to push him as he let her go so suddenly it made her stagger back. He looked at her sardonically while her lips is tingling at the harsh way Donghae had just kissed her.

“You made me miserable. And I’ll make sure you’ll end up the same.” That was his last words before he turned and strode out of her office, closing the door behind him and leaving Dara with a look of shock and disbelief on her face. She stared at her door before she felt the fury rising up in her and it made her body shake.

“You have got to be ing kidding me!!!!” she yelled at the confines of her small office.

She immediately demanded an urgent meeting with the President of Kmag. She didn’t care if he’s got a lunch date with his boyfriend. She threatened him that she would tag along and be a third wheeler on their date and will constantly make barfing noises if he didn’t meet her that day at that time. Kwanghee had no choice but to call Jo Kwon and tell him he might be a little late.

“I’m sorry baby. Some pest is buzzing in my ear demanding my attention and will sting me if I refuse,” Kwanghee said disgruntled while Dara is pacing in his office with her arms crossed, a stomy look on her face.

Jo Kwon laughed. “Okay. Say hello to Dara for me.”

After saying goodbye, Kwanghee faced Dara and waited for her to erupt. It didn’t took a minute.

“He’s got some nerve!” Dara said, her eyes flashing. “What a total ! I should’ve beaten his out of my office! That jerk! How dare he!” She vent out her fury at his couch by kicking it.

“Okay,”Kwanghee said. “Calm down and tell me what happened.” He sat down on the couch lifting one of his leg up as he watched Dara fumed.

“Do you even have any idea what he told me? He would get back at me??? Hah!” It’s so ridiculous that she let out a laugh. “Me? He would get back at me??” She laughed even louder this time while shaking his head. “The accident really messed up his already messed up head!”

“Okay,” Kwanghee said. “I don’t understand what you’re talking about but… there, there. It’s gonna be okay.”

Dara’s eyes flashed at him. “He went to my office earlier and you know what he told me? I made him miserable. And he said will make sure I’m gonna end up miserable too. In a nutshell, he wants to take revenge for what happened to him two years ago. Unbelievable! I should be the one planning to execute my revenge. I should be the one who’s making a damn oath of making him eat dirt. But no! What the hell is wrong with this picture??”

“Dara,” Kwanghee sighed while she ranted.

“Oh noooo.” She laughed. “He thinks I’m just going to lay down and take the whipping, huh?” She chortled manically. “He thinks I’m someone he can mess with?”

“Dara,” Kwanghee called again. She’s been ranting for 15 minutes now and he’s gotta make sure to stop it if he doesn’t want it to go on for more than 30 minutes. “He doesn’t really have anything to take against you so I don’t understand why you’re so bothered about it.”

“The fact that he thinks I made him suffer is what’s bothering me!”

“Calm down and just sit.” Kwanghee patted the space next to him and Dara plopped down on it as her chest heaved.

“Okay,” Kwanghee said. “So, from what I understand, Donghae said he would get back at you. Does he have anything to take against you?”

Dara looked at him pointedly with her lips thinned out and it took a moment before Kwanghee understood. He was the one who laughed this time. “Seriously?” He laughed once more before giving Dara wry smile. “He’s thinking you’re keeping your past from me and he wanted to use that? Then I guess your problem is solved. I don’t even understand why you look at it as a problem to begin with. Since I really don’t any problem with you getting in touch with your ex, case solved. Now, I need to go see Jo Kwon.” He stood up but Dara pulled him down.

“You’re my boyfriend. If you’re going to know about your girlfriend getting in touch with her ex, then you should feel a bit upset about it.”

“Uh… why?”

“Because that’s the correct reaction! Don’t you think that it’s a little odd that you, who is my boyfriend, is not even bothered by the idea of me, your girlfriend, talking to the hot ex?”

“What’s your point?”

Dara stood up and paced in front of him again as her thoughts begunto line up in order. “Okay, okay. If we’re gonna do this, we need to do this right. We can’t have him be suspicious and he shouldn’t have anything to use against me. I have to let him think I have already told you about him. I have to let him think that I’m already happy with you and you don’t care about what happened to me with him.”

“Which I really don’t,” Kwanghee said putting up an index finger as a point. “So it wouldn’t really be hard to act out.”

Dara nodded agreeing with her own thoughts, not really listening to him as she tried to formulate her own plan and her own revenge. “Make him see that no matter what he does, it wouldn’t matter because I’m already happy. Make him see I am so damn happy dating Hwang Kwanghee! It will piss him more.” Then she turned to Kwanghee grinning widely now. “And you! You will let him see that you don’t care and that you’re not feeling insecure because you trust me immensely.”

Kwanghee’s mouth twitched as he tried not to laugh. “Okay but… isn’t it better if you wouldn’t tell him that you told me and make him think that he’s still got something over you? So you know, he wouldn’t come up with another idea to blackmail you with.”

Dara slapped her hands together in gusto as she looked at the window. “Or, I could just let him believe I didn’t tell you so he will think he’s got something over me.” She laughed. “Ohhh he’s gonna be playing this damn game with my rules again, that .” Dara laughed loudly again slapping her hands together as if in triumph over her brilliant mind. “I am so damn smart with this game. Honestly, I don’t understand why I panicked in the first place.” She was still laughing as she strode out of his office. “I’d better get ready with my interview with him. I wanna see what he’s planning..” Her voice is so full of confidence now. “Lee Donghae, you’re going down!” Then she stopped as she turned to Kwanghee. “Aren’t you gonna meet Jo Kwon? Tsk tsk tsk. You shouldn’t make him wait. How inconsiderate of you. Anyway, see you later.” She flew him a flying kiss before closing the door.

Kwanghee was just left with a scowl on his face. “She’s getting more and more unstable by the minute.” He shook his head as he reached for his phone to call Jo Kwon again.

Her hands felt clammy and sweaty but she shook them as she let the engine of her car idle. She is now in the parking lo